I traded my 03 SL500 for a new 04 SL55 (Pewter/Charcoal, Pano, KeylessGo, etc.).

Wow! What a fantastic car! A BIG improvement in ride and tightness over my 03 SL500. The brakes are much better feeling also. It's easier to modulate the brakes at slow speed. (I'm not a fan of the brake-by-wire concept tho.) The steering also feels tighter, and the steering wheel itself is nicer (I guess that is an AMG-only wheel).

And that muted thunder when you hit the gas pedal!

I had an SL600 on order and ETA in about a month, but I decided I liked the sportier AMG car instead. I thought the SL600 was a little too smooth and quiet when I drove it.

-Ray

 

Congrats on your new car and I'm sure your will enjoy it. Wouldn't mind your thoughts on the comparison with your 996 TT as that was the other car I was considering before I bought the SL55

 

might as well give us comparison on 360 also. congrats

 

You cannot compare the cars raygr has, you simply cannot!

SL55- comfortable grand tourer, very very refined, and fast as f***

911- raw but still refined, grips like no other, lack of engine sound, but mid range grunt and usability is unrivalled.


360- very very raw, unbeliaveble engine sound, very light to drive but sometimes unforgiving if used daily.

 

congrats on your purchase... yeah the car sounds great, although that all depends on what you want. my mom hates the amg noise but i dont mind

 

I am a lucky individual to have 3 really outstanding cars. I know it's a little over the top, but it's an illness. Each car is really different in character.

You might be interested in some comparisons of my cars:

1. SL55: Comfortable, powerful, and somewhat stealthy. It does feel heavy, but ABC controls it well. It feels like a muscle car, only it goes around corners well too. It also feels solid and flex free. In my mind, it's not really a "sports car" because it weighs too much, and only has an automatic transmission. But, the AMG-ness imbues it with a certain performance aura.

2. 996 Turbo 6spd: A truely great sports-car & GT, and it weighs about 800 lbs less than the SL55! It's a flexible, all-around sports car. It's relatively smooth, luxurious, and comfortable when you just want to relax, but it is also very fast and handles very well. I drive mine as a daily driver, even in the wet winters here near Seattle. Steering feedback is better than the SL55. Traction is better than both the SL55 and 360. The all-wheel drive makes it feel very stable, even in the rain. I've done laps in the car and it's easy to drive fast. My car has the standard turbo brakes, and they are incredible. The exhaust note of the turbo is on the quiet side. It's a twin-turbo 3.6 liter flat six engine. I've added an FVD performance chip to mine. I have yet to dyno it, but it is probably around 470hp (stock 415hp). When I get on it, I can feel all 4 wheels starting to break loose while it crabs and claws its way forward. There is a slight lag before the torque builds, unlike the SL55 where the torque is available instantly. The shifter is good, but the throws are a little long. I had the Porsche short-shifter installed on my car and it's really nice.

3. 360 Spider 6spd: A raw, visceral experience; best reserved for weekend drives. Have you ever seen any of the "Victory by Design" series with Alain De Cadenet? It sounds like those scenes where he is pushing the car around the back roads, roaring, shifting, and blipping the throttle. It's an arcade-game like experience. The steering is very quick and light; quicker than the Porsche. The brakes feel very positive, and accelerating and stopping happens without any dive. The view out the front is wide and low, and the seating position is perfect. The interior is covered with the finest leather and smells great. There are no extra do-dads. There is no cruise control, or heated seats (they're not even options). There is a very slightly noticible body flex in the spider, but very solid compared to other open top cars. The 360 has a 3.6 liter V8, redline at 8500 rpm. It lacks the low end torque of either the SL or the 996, but it still feels fast. I tend to run it at higher rpms most of time for extra kick, and to hear the engine scream. The rear wheels can break loose at low speeds pretty easily. I haven't had it to the track yet, but I would guess that it could be a little squirrelly, especially compared to the 996. This is a car you have to balance with the throttle. As far as build quality, it seems top notch. I think you could drive this car every day and would not have problems; but you probably would not want to. It's sensory-overload after a while.

In terms of other people noticing and complimenting the cars, the 360 definitely gets noticed the most, and my SL55 (and my former SL500) got a lot of compliments too. The 911 is kind of ordinary to most people, and I get a comment once in great while from someone who knows Porsches.

 

great feedback, especially on the Ferrari. Makes me want one for weekends like you said. That show "Victory by Design" is great. Makes you feel as close to really driving those old nostalgic cars as TV can make it, and Alain really puts them through their paces....thanks

T

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'd just like to ask raygr, does my summing up of the three cars sound close to real or a bit off?

 

Yes, I thought you summed them up accurately in just a few words!

-Ray